Useless Battles Cost Many Lives-Civil War

[Rsmyth]

Herb, thank you for your service. We just got power today (Thursday) at 4:00 pm. I spent the last few days at the local fire house where they had power. I brought a few books with me. One was " We Were Soldiers Once...and Young." This was the first major battle of Viet Nam. There were no winners and the 7th Calvary was devastated. Some of the soldiers were just 17 years old. if everyone read this book there would be a lot less fighting. I joined at 18 in 1968 for 4 years. I knew people my age that never came back; Little League teammate, high school buddy including the football team star quarterback. My wife's childhood friend's older brother came to visit her class in his dress uniform. He promised to write the class letters from over there. He died in combat. I don't see the purpose any more.

[L Verge]

I have told this story before to some of you. I was teaching during the Viet Nam war and had a 9th grader named Ronnie. We competed with each other to see who could get on the other one's nerves the fastest each day. Ronnie squeaked through to the tenth grade by the skin of his teeth, and I lost track of him when he went to high school.

As soon as he turned 17, he got his parents' permission to join the Army. One day, a knock came on my classroom door, and I opened it to find Ronnie in dress uniform standing there. He had come to see me after three years to tell me that he wished he had paid attention to what I tried to tell him about life because the Army DIs had taught him the same things the hard way. He just wanted to thank me for putting up with him and to tell me that he was leaving for Nam in a few days.

The next time I saw Ronnie was about six weeks later. He left Nam in a body bag, and I received a call from his family that they would like me to come to the funeral. That was one of the toughest funerals I have ever been to. The only time I ever visited The Wall, I started crying all over again - for Ronnie and for a classmate from high school and college, Jimmy Graham, who was killed while leading his platoon through enemy territory. Although severely wounded, Jimmy stayed behind to keep the enemy at bay and to be with a dying comrade while the rest of the men could escape. Jimmy won the Medal of Honor posthumously.

When you stop and think of the sheer numbers of casualties in the Civil War compared to our other wars, it is staggering. Almost an entire generation of young men wiped out in four years. My students had a hard time grasping the concept of how many people comprise 600,000 plus souls.

[J. Beckert]

That's a sad story and a very stark reminder of the horrors of war. I remember when I was a little kid in the mid 60's, my neighbor Jim was my idol. He was about 18 and I was 5. He loved me and my brother to death and never missed a chance to tease and play with us. He took us to the store for ice cream and used to throw me in the air until I felt sick. Always laughing. Until he came home from his first tour in Viet Nam. I remember him standing outside his house with a blank stare- just looking down the road. When I'd ask him to play with me, he say "Not today, Joe" and walk away. These politicians we elect should think long and hard before they do that to another generation.

[Rsmyth]

Laurie, Joe, the aftermath lingers on. I cannot imagine finding a telegram slipped under your door or see the officer get out of the car in front of the house. This was in the day before social media and it was after I got out of the navy that I heard that my high school buddy wasn't comming home. I found him in a cemetery in Englewood NJ years later. I still remember the snowball fight and his laugh. He would be 62 now. He never married or had the chance to become a father. Every once in a while it makes me feel better to remember.

[LincolnMan]

Tomorrow (Nov. 3), I will join other veterans participating in the annual Veteran's Day Parade in Detroit. This is happening tomorrow, even though Veteran's Day this year is actually November 12th. Although I am a veteran, I will be dressed in Union Civil War uniform-and marching in formation with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Veteran's Day will be observed in various cities, towns, and communites all across our land for the next 10 days. When we think about the people who are serving- and have served- let us pause and be thankful for the freedom we have because of all of them. And, of course, remember too-that some "gave all." God bless America!

[HerbS]

Great Job-Bill-I am proud of you!

[LincolnMan]

Thanks Herb! Yesterday proved to be a banner day. First, there was the Detroit Veteran's Day Parade-followed by a flag raising ceremony at the downtown Detroit old G.A.R. Building. The building has been vacant for more than twenty years and in horrible shape. A visionary company purchased the building and is preparing for it's use as business space. They will have a G.A.R. Museum on the ground floor. It was the first time in fifty years that the building had a flag flying at it's top. Later that day, I attended a Tribute Ceremony for the 150th anniversary of the death of General Israel B. Richardson. He is the highest ranking soldier from Michigan that was killed in the Civil War (Major General). You may recall that President Lincoln paid a visit to him while he was hospitalized. Richardson had been wounded at Antietam. I think Lincoln was considering Richardson as a replacement for McClellan. Sadly, Richardson died. He is buried in Pontiac, Michigan-which was his hometown. As this thread's subject matter is partly concerned with the costs in lives of the Civil War, I'm reminded of it when I think of people like Richardson-and as I look at all the G.A.R. grave markers in that particular cemetery.

[HerbS]

Bill,I love Michigan.Remember I graduated from WMU in Kalamazoo.My roomate and best-man still resides in Muskegon.

[LincolnMan]

As Lincoln said: "Thank God for Michigan!"